


in your face (and personal space)

by fried_extracrispy_trenchcoat



Category: Supernatural
Genre: "smush of anger", Sam Winchester deserves happiness, Sam Winchester ships it, inspired by a fan-post, is it obliviousness or denial?, pinch of mandatory light angst, post-s5ep18 ["Point of No Return"], slightly cracky, such a novel idea!, what is personal space?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:28:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25741330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fried_extracrispy_trenchcoat/pseuds/fried_extracrispy_trenchcoat
Summary: inspired by a fan-post;“It’s not what it looked like,” Dean says when Sam returns, right after informing him that Cas had flounced off, presumably to fume in solitude on the moon, or whatever angels did when they were pissed off about earthly things.“It’s not?”“We were just arguing, and, well, he got right up in my face --”Sam says dryly, “I could see that.”Whoever’d coined the phrase “getting right up in someone’s face” had obviously never met Cas; the latter never did do anything halfway.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester
Comments: 9
Kudos: 53





	in your face (and personal space)

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve included the fan-post that inspired this ficlet as an embedded image below, and as a link here: https://acuteangleiscas.tumblr.com/post/625697312573980672/smush-of-anger
> 
> This is set between the end of s5ep18 [“Point of No Return”] and the beginning of s5ep23 ["Swan Song"]. Also, from a TV show's perspective, this is slightly cracky (hence the tag), but otherwise, let's face it: this could totally happen.

Dean has only once had the honor of seeing Castiel, angel of the Lord, truly and terrifyingly angry, and he prefers to never be on the receiving end again. But since the universe has always held a grudge against him, and because he has no sense of self-preservation (admittedly a disastrous combination), Dean finds himself alone once more with an greatly pissed-off Cas, except this time they’re in a motel room, Sam having left for the local library a while ago.

Not long into the battle of wills, Cas has already backed him into a wall. Their faces are already a mere foot apart at this point -- which doesn’t actually mean anything, seeing as Cas doesn’t have a sense of personal space. It’s only when Dean finds himself growing cross-eyed trying to keep eye contact that he realizes just how close Cas physically is, and by then it’s too late.

It’s a slow-motion, head-on (ha) collision, where there’s enough time for Dean to realize what’s about to happen but not enough for him to do anything about it. He’s reasonably certain that this analogy is an exaggeration.

Dean _had_ been fully invested in the argument, but now that the collision has occurred (and seems to be proceeding to welding...??), his mind hastens to focus all its brainpower instead on the points of contact: foreheads, noses (Dean’s will definitely bruise later), Cas’ iron-skinned hands fisted into his shirt, one dress shoe stepping on three of Dean’s toes (he’s anticipating them to feel sore for a while as well).

Whoever’d coined the phrase “getting right up in someone’s face” had obviously never met Cas; the latter never did do anything halfway.

Dean is about to tell Cas to give him some breathing space when Cas shifts in the middle of his tirade. Dean’s own head tilts a little bit by proxy, though he quickly realizes that the change is far from negligible, because something has just been added to the “points of contact” list.

Three guesses what.

...

Their mouths are literally pressed together. And it might be interpreted as a kiss ( _don’t go there, do_ not _go there_ ) if not for Cas still -- for lack of a better description -- _mouthing off_ against Dean’s lips and the surrounding skin. If he was listening -- which he is not -- Dean would have trouble deciphering the slightly muffled words. The hunter keeps his trap tightly shut as he tries in vain to not Freak Out™ and also in hopes that Cas won’t notice that Dean’s not actually paying attention to anything he’s saying.

Too soon, Dean senses Sam entering the motel room. The former would rather extricate himself from the compromising position he knows it must look like, but Cas’ body is unyielding like a brick wall. There’s nothing else to do _but_ nothing; after an uncomfortably long silence from the doorway, Dean hears Sam exit stage left, followed by the roar of the Impala’s ignition.

By the time Dean has regained enough composure to focus back on the (now) one-sided argument, Cas’ fists have slowly released its grip on Dean’s shirt. The angel retreats to a two-feet distance and says curtly, “I hope we won’t need to have this conversation again.”

Dean is still tongue-tied, but it doesn’t matter anyway because Cas is already gone.

*****

“It’s not what it looked like,” Dean says when Sam returns, right after informing him that Cas had flounced off, presumably to fume in solitude on the moon, or whatever angels did when they were pissed off about earthly things.

“It’s not?”

“We were just arguing, and, well, he got right up in my face --”

Sam says dryly, “I could see that.”

“-- but you _know_ he has no concept of --” Dean cuts himself off and levels Sam with a glare. “Not what I meant! We weren’t -- we weren’t -- weren’t --”

“It’s not that difficult to say it,” Sam says, smirking. “Two syllables, you can do it. I’ll give you a gold star and everything.”

“Funny,” Dean retorts. “Anyway, you’re missing the point. We were arguing and it just got a little intense, that’s all.”

“You shouldn’t even try to prove -- er, _dis_ prove -- anything to me, Dean,” Sam says gleefully, “not when it’s as obvious as the nose on your face.”

His tone says that he’s utterly relishing seeing Dean in a flustered state, but Sam’s bright grin indicates otherwise. It’s overflowing with unrestrained and genuine joy for Dean that it causes the latter to stare and soak it in. The sight is extremely rare these days, and he never thought that this conversation (of all conversations) would cause that grin to emerge from disuse.

But he’ll take what he can get. So what if that’s the reason Dean decides to drop the subject?

It’s nothing Sam needs to know, that’s what.

**Author's Note:**

> Reactions, comments, constructive feedback?


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